Otters are super cute. Their brown bodies, big noses, and almost dog-like appearance are enough to get people swooning over how adorable they are.
Pair that with the fact that they swim, often mate for life, and apparently squeal when they see you if they know you, and they’re one of the most loveable wild animals out there.
TikToker Mats Janzon shared a video of his otter friend Leya spotting him, and it’s too cute for words.
She squeals with delight, knowing he’s nearby and that she can trust him. She desperately finds a way to climb onto his boat so she can be reunited with her best pal.
Leya is a wild otter, and she hunts and explores without being ‘owned’ by Mats. But they’re an unlikely pairing, and it’s clear to see how much Leya adores Mats.
Whenever she knows he’s near, she is thrilled, making excited noises and fully trusting him – something that is rare.
In another emotional video, he explained the story of Leya, and how they forged an unlikely friendship.
He was walking through the woods one day around a year and a half ago, and he heard cries of an animal. Upon investigating, he realised that it was a baby otter.
Mats hoped that the otter’s mother would come back for her, so he let her be. But in tragic circumstances, he saw the baby’s mother’s body – she’d been devastatingly killed by a car – and he knew that he had to take care of her until she was ready to live life on her own terms.
It’s clear that Leya knows exactly what Mats has done for her and the sacrifices he made to ensure she had a good life and would be able to survive.
In the video, even when she hops out of his kayak, she makes adorable noises to signal that she loves him.
She swims protectively around the boat as the pair enjoy the sunrise together.
In the comments of the TikTok, someone wrote: “Sorry, which fantasy world is this and can I have the Google maps link to get there?”
Another said that the video gave them “so much peace and joy”.
“This is how life was meant to be. Coexistence with nature, animals and humans, nothing else,” somebody else penned.
